BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center

H.B. 592

82R20733 VOO-D

By: Pitts (Birdwell)

 

Jurisprudence

 

5/6/2011

 

Engrossed

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

A county juvenile board in Texas operates a juvenile justice alternative education program (JJAEP) to offer an alternative form of discipline and education for a juveline expelled from a public school district.  Current law requires a county with a population greater than 125,000 to establish JJAEP for that purpose.  This mandate to establish and fund the program can be harmful to a county facing budget limitations.

 

H.B. 592 sets out circumstances under which a county with a population greater than 125,000 is not required to establish a JJAEP.

 

H.B. 592 amends current law relating to certain counties that are not required to operate a juvenile justice alternative education program.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 37.011, Education Code, by adding Subsection (a-2), as follows:

 

(a-2)  Provides that for purposes of this section and Section 37.010(a) (relating to requiring the board of trustees of a school district to deliver a copy of the order placing a student in a disciplinary alternative education program or expelling a student and any information required, to the authorized officer of the juvenile court in the county in which the student resides), a county with a population greater than 125,000 is considered to be a county with a population of 125,000 or less if the county:

 

(1)  has a population of 180,000 or less;

 

(2)  is adjacent to two counties, each of which has a population of more than 1.7 million; and

 

(3)  has seven or more school districts located wholly within the county's boundaries.

 

SECTION 2.  Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 2011-2012 school year.

 

SECTION 3.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2011.